Saturday, January 7, 2012

Three freight trains have collided in the US state of Indiana setting several tanker cars alight and prompting fears of a chemical spill, according to local media reports.

Porter County Emergency Management Director Phil Griffith said one train crashed into the rear of another, forcing it off the track and into a third train on an adjacent line near the city of Valparaiso.

Television news footage showed black smoke pouring from the tops of several mangled train cars as firefighters work to battle the flames.

A hazardous materials team was sent to the site to assess if there had been any spills from the tankers.

It was not confirmed what the freight trains were carrying, but The Indianapolis Star reported that at least one was transporting ethanol.

A handful of homes close to the crash have been evacuated as a precaution.

No injuries had been reported and all train personnel had been accounted for, Mr Griffith said. Source